Kony's Jason Russell tells Oprah: 'That wasn't me'

Oct. 3, 2012 09:23 AMUSA TODAY

Oprah Winfrey has scored another first.

She's talking to Kony 2012 campaign creator Jason Russell, who had a very public meltdown soon after the phenomenal success of the video that brought worldwide attention to Uganda rebel leader Joseph Kony. It all happened in March. And while many remember the initial Kony video, another video -- of Russell -- emerged, showing him on the streets of San Diego naked, yelling, disrupting traffic and pounding his fists on the pavement.

Russell was hospitalized with what his wife said at the time was "reactive psychosis."

He and his wife, Danica, will discuss with Winfrey on Sunday's Oprah's Next Chapter (9 p.m., OWN) what happened on that day and the impact the events have had on his career, his marriage and his continued fight against Kony.

Here's an excerpt:

OPRAH: "What do you remember, Jason?"

JASON: "I remember me flipping off cars."

OPRAH: "Flipping off cars? Like with your..."

JASON: "With both hands. I remember that just like 'doot,' just like a little memory. I remember running around our lemon tree. I remember ..."

OPRAH: "There were reports that you were breaking into cars?"

JASON: "There are reports. I mean I think I was stopping cars in the street. People said I was laying in the street - it's a busy street - I was laying in the street."

OPRAH: "How did you get your robe off? How do you go from running out with your robe on to your robe off?"

JASON: "Again, it's really hard to explain if people who have never had an out-of-body experience, but it really wasn't me. That wasn't me, that person on the street corner ranting and raving and naked is not me, that's not who I am."

Russell goes on to acknowledge that he was "walking around snapping my fingers up and down" and "slapping my hands on the ground as hard as I can. Just slapping them on the ground. Talking to myself. Ranting. Raving. Talking about good versus evil, God and the devil. I mean it was just very out of control." He shows that he dented his wedding ring because he was pounding the pavement, literally, so hard.